


Like Kittens

by pickleplum



Series: Texts from the Shatterdome [4]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Gen, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Texts From Last Night, Texts From the Shatterdome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-28
Updated: 2013-10-28
Packaged: 2017-12-30 19:24:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1022480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickleplum/pseuds/pickleplum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chuck looks at Raleigh. Raleigh looks at Mako. Mako looks at both of them with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like Kittens

Raleigh hears the front door slam open in a very Chuck Hansen way. "Welcome home, Chuck!" he calls across the small apartment. "How'd the midterm go today?"

"Fuck me. I can’t believe I let my old man talk me into taking classes. Punching kaiju was easier than reading Chaucer in the original. Why couldn't he be arsed to write in proper English?" Chuck flops into a chair at the kitchen table and drops his head onto his forearms.

"Chaucer'd probably say the same thing about your English. So does your professor if the grade on your last essay was any sign." Raleigh tries and fails to suppress a smile.

"Get bent, Ray-leigh." Chuck follows up with a V sign, but doesn’t raise his head.

"What's wrong with Chuck?" Mako asks after she strolls in and notes Chuck's appearance.

"A dead Englishman kicked his ass at school today."

"I'm sorry, Chuck. It will get better," she says sympathetically.

Chuck groans. "Not you, too."

"Mako and I ordered pizza and are thinking of watching a few movies. Wanna join us?" The Australian doesn't respond. "Chuck?"

"No veg or fish?" There’s a tiny bit of hope in Chuck’s voice.

"Just the way you like it," Raleigh answers.

"Guess I'll join you then."

The pizza is good and the beers are plentiful, which makes up for the crap movies. All three of them are jammed onto the couch eating, drinking, and hurling insults at the screen. Midway through the third movie, all are having a hard time staying awake.

As the third flick ends, Mako excuses herself from her place at one end of the couch and readies for sleep. She looks into the living room one last time before turning in and has to bite back a giggle. Raleigh and Chuck have fallen dead asleep and slumped onto their sides on the cushions. This is too precious, she thinks, and snaps a quick picture with her phone. She fumbles the device and hears the distinctive sound of the “text sent” noise. She does giggle when she checks the log. The boys’ reactions should be entertaining. She sleeps with very pleasant dreams.

Chuck survives another day of classes despite waking up on the couch with a kink in his neck. Dinner with his father, though, is a little awkward. Even more awkward than normal.

“Can either of you explain why my dad used the quotation marks gesture with his hand,” Chuck says while miming the action, “when he asked how my ‘roommate’ was doing?”

Chuck looks at Raleigh. Raleigh looks at Mako. Mako looks at both of them with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

“That may be because I drunkenly sent him a pic of you two curled up together on the couch last night like kittens. Two very buff kittens.” She pats each man on the shoulder as she walks between them on her way to the kitchen.

The former Rangers stare at each other for a long moment, then Raleigh laughs while Chuck blushes bright red.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [this prompt](http://pacificrimkink.livejournal.com/2747.html?thread=3968443#t3968443), which was inspired by [this Text from the Shatterdome](http://textsfromtheshatterdome.tumblr.com/post/62865853527/submitted-by-joukehainen):
> 
> “Chuck: My dad used the quotation marks gesture with his hand when he asked how my "roommate" was doing  
> Mako: That may be because I drunkenly sent him a pic of you two curled up together like kittens. Two very buff kittens.
> 
> So, Chuck, Mako, and Raleigh move in together post-apocalypse ending. Mako prods the two of them along.”
> 
> Recommended listening: [Elastica, self-titled, Track 10, “All Nighter”](http://youtu.be/TE1q8riluY0)


End file.
